instantly

instantly — adverb

1. happening or done in a very short time, with no noticeable delay between a cause

1.副詞B1
釋義

happening or done in a very short time, with no noticeable delay between a cause and its result.

例句

When Tamar heard the fire alarm, she instantly grabbed her bag and headed for the exit.

instantly + past simple verb for a sudden physical response

The new messaging app sends photos instantly, with almost no loading time.

verb + instantly (after the main verb)

同義詞
  • immediately

    more general; can mean 'very soon' as well as 'right now'

  • at once

    slightly more formal; common in instructions and commands

  • right away

    informal; very common in everyday speech

反義詞
  • eventually

    implies a delay before something happens

  • gradually

    implies the action unfolds over time, not all at once

文法句型

instantly + verb

verb + instantly

用法筆記

Distinguish from immediately: instantly always implies zero time gap and is often used with sudden events or reactions. Immediately can also mean 'very soon' or 'as the next step' (e.g. immediately after the meeting).

常見錯誤

❌I will finish this report instantly.' (when you mean soon, not at this exact moment).
✅I will finish this report immediately.
💡Instantly means with zero delay; for 'very soon' use immediately or shortly.